Cameras

A new review of face recognition software found that, when identifying gender, the software is most accurate for men with light skin and least accurate for women with dark skin. Joy Buolamwini, an MIT Media Lab researcher and computer scientist, tested three commercial gender classifiers offered as part of face recognition services. As she found, the software misidentified the gender of dark-skinned females 35 per cent of the time. By contrast, the error rate rate for light-skinned males was less than one per cent.

We just assume nowadays that almost everything is mass-produced by machines, including complicated devices like cameras and camera lenses. Turns out that's not the case -- at least, not for Fujifilm. In this video, we get the opportunity to see all the hard work and attention-to-detail that goes into producing a subset of the company's range of shooting hardware.

Predicting the future is near impossible -- but that doesn‘t stop us all from having a red hot go. Human beings have been predicting the future since the beginning of history and the results range from the hilarious to the downright uncanny.

One thing all future predictions have in common: they‘re rooted in our current understanding of how the world works. It‘s difficult to escape that mindset. We have no idea how technology will evolve, so our ideas are connected to the technology of today.

In sub-zero temperatures, Ryan Pierse has to get on hands and knees for the perfect shot. As a photographer for Getty Images, he's tasked with capturing the once-in-a-lifetime moments that occur throughout this year's PyeongChang Winter Olympics. Aussie Gold medals? He'll be all over it.

With that huge responsibility, he isn't cutting any corners - he's brought with him more camera bodies, lenses and hand warmers than should be physically possible - and he's given us a look at exactly what kind of tech he's carrying around.

You may know photographer Josh Smith from his series of images Down Under From Above. Mostly featuring farmland and desert, Smith has now hovered his lens above our beautiful Great Barrier Reef - hoping to raise awareness of our connection with the Reef, and the impact we have on it.

Chinese police have begun using glasses equipped with facial recognition-enabled cameras to spot fugitives travelling through train stations. Though Chinese police have said the glasses will spot people using fake IDs or travelling to avoid a warrant, many are concerned about China using the tech to target political advocates and minorities. China has been accused of using face recognition tech to "fence in" the Muslim Uighur minority in northwestern Xinjiang.

Video: If there was ever a good reason to fullscreen a video on your computer, this is it. The third episode of Team Blacksheep's Long Term Paradise series, featuring some of the best drone pilots in the world, might have you experiencing vertigo if you're brave enough to watch this footage running at a full 60 frames per second.

What have you done Kodak, what have you done? Earlier this month, the stalwart film company got into bed with the oh-so-tempting blockchain brigade, and its stock price dutifully shot up. With one day to go before its initial coin offering was scheduled, more details have emerged about this unholy marriage, and it's easy to believe that the reincarnated Kodak isn't long for this world.

Turns out making cameras that look like rifles (or grenade launchers, in this case) was popular back in the day. Take for instance this incredibly hard-to-find Konishoruko Rokuohsha Type 89 "machine gun" variant, which found its way onto eBay for the princely sum of $US4500 ($5549).

Florian Nick spent six weeks travelling over 5,472km across the western provinces of Canada, waking up at the crack of dawn to point his camera at sunrises, and hiking up mountains to capture awe-inspiring vistas. The result is a three-and-a-half minute short film called Alive that's full of so much colour and detail it almost looks like a painting that's come to life.

With arguably the biggest player in the Action Camera market apparently struggling to keep itself afloat, we're likely going to see a few more action cameras on the cheaper side around the traps, like this Bauhn Action Camera that'll be going at ALDI for just $69.

The original Super 8 camera inspires nostalgia in every graying beardo with aspirations to make a film. The format was introduced back in 1965, and before VHS camcorders killed it in the '80s, it was the film stock of choice for budding filmmakers and family life chroniclers. A new Super 8 camera released 30-some years after Super 8 effectively died seems like a fun idea for people eager to relive the glory days or escape digital. Except in a blog last week Kodak claimed this thing will cost anywhere from $US2500 ($3138) to $US3000 ($3766).

Videos shot on smartphones have a very specific, very low-rent aesthetic. A whole host of stabilizers are available on the market that try to improve that aesthetic - eradicating the shaky cam look so you can actually see whatever the smartphone's camera is looking at. DJI even has one! The original Osmo Mobile was a pricey handheld stabiliser with some good ideas and a whole lot of big flaws. The Osmo Mobile 2, announced today, looks like it improves on almost every point of contention, and even better, DJI has slashed the price. This thing costs just $209.

When it comes to ergonomics, we put a lot of focus on posture, specifically sitting at a desk. But posture is important regardless of what you're doing, including carrying a camera bag around. So, if you're a keen photographer and wondering why you're getting headaches and shoulder pain, it might be time to reconsider your choice of backpack.

In the past few months, a number of companies have whispered the word "blockchain" and seen their stock prices explode, including a Hooters franchise owner, an iced tea company, and a biotech firm whose CEO promptly sold off around $1.1 million in stock. So hey look! Camera manufacturer Kodak is now crypto!

LaCie's rugged portable drives, distinguished by their bright orange padding, are popular with photographers and videographers who need to backup footage and photos while away from the safety of their desks. Taking that idea one step further, LaCie's new DJI Copilot drive can ingest and back up your media all by itself, letting you leave your laptop at work.

Panasonic's Lumix GH5 is already one of the top picks for people who want mirrorless camera that captures high quality 4K video. So what could the company possible do to make it even better? Apparently, it seems the answer is to slash its megapixels in half.